Automatic safety readjustment mechanism for newspaper press fold rollers



Nov. 24, 1953 1.. J. GRINER AUTOMATIC SAFETY READJUSTMENT MECHANIS FOR NEWSPAPER PRESS FOLD ROLLERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 4, 1952 RS 6H 3 Ihwentor Les/A? d9 Eg a :Lili

(lttornegs Nov. 24, 1953 J. GRINER 2,660,426

AUTOMATIC SAFETY READJUSTMENT MECHANISM FOR NEWSPAPER PRESS FOLD ROLLERS Filed Feb. 4, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Gttoruegs J. GRINER 2,660,426 AUTOMATIC SAFETY READJUSTMENT MECHANISM FOR NEWSPAPER PRESS FOLD ROLLERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Nov. 24, 1953 Filed Feb. 4, 1952 Zhweutor Z Patented Nov. 24, 1953 aoEFIcE Fri/ ,426

FQLDL-BOLIJEBS UTOMATICj- AFETY" 'READJUS'TMENT MECHANISM -FOR NEWSPAPER PR ESS e ia Jifir PflPQ t iQ f implication February 4, 1952', Serial No.=2 69 764 7 arms inventionerelates vtoanewspap m printin resses. andtheslikeiandiin particularntdsafety devices. for suchspresses.

- -One=:-object\i ofethieinvention i is to proxidej'an aautomatic. saefty readjustmentmehanism for th 5 r-folding r.o11s.of newspaper-printing pressesmhich will operate nautomaticallyeto move the foldin enrolls of: the mewspapertpress .-rapid1y;.t0ward40ne anothertinathei event that .-one .eof. the .websggof pa eraccidentallybreaks, so..as to .:preszent iamwminguknownraswfolder chokes, \whichmccurswhen s'u'ch iwebibreakage takes place.

Another iObjBCtz is =.to.' .provide giant automatic safety readjustment mechanismxof foregoing .character, wherein: the breaking :-nofuone,-of,=t.the 15 paper "websiactuates .devices gperated hy .:e1ec- L tricity, pressure fluid.- ori mechanical "means; so a that thev folding rollsawhichigripuandadeliver the :folded@newspaper-eatter its-.iprintedssheets, have been printed, cutiand folded are..a1most.. instanta-*- .neous1y pushed toward one .another; to: diminish i; the. gap betweenz-themi-so that they will 1 still grip Giana feed: the. remainder roflthe foldedinewspaper land ejectvri-tsfrom the machine, .eyen thoughthe breakage. of oneiiot the .webs,.,f ails to .supplnthe,

a-foldingirolls with at portion oi the paper.

Another 1 object is; to provide Nan; automatic safety readjustment, mechanismoi the foregoing -acharacter, whichiwill prevent the serious damage previouslyoccurring; in suchpressesas aresult 0f thespaper. from the unbroken; web..pi1ing gup in -thefolding machanism andl ijammingi there. :by reason of the inability of the folding rolls toagrip a thinner body ofioldedlpaper. than it has been adjusted toihandle'.

. other objects andiadvantages of. the invention will becomes apparentz duringv the course of, the

'- siollowingdescription; of the accompanying draw- I -Figure 1 is a diagrammatic sideelevation partvlyi in verticalseotiong ofthe newspaperecut'ting hand folding machineryv of a conventional .newspaper V printingmpress, equipped -1 with an @auto- .inatie safety readjustment mechanism. according to. one form-of ;-theinvention in which-the mechanism isoperated -.electro-magnetically 3: Figure 2 is an approximatelyvhorizontal section taken :along the line 2--2 in Figure 1';

i I. Figure 3 is ansapproximatelyehorizontaLsec- =tion taken along ihei-l ine 33 in Figure l showinga part oi theifolding ro1l-readj1isting lmechainisfn;

Figure disadiagrammatic side-elevationpartaiy in, verticaliseetiona of; a machinegsimilari. to nthatshown int-the .ieitehand-halfi otgfiigure iii-hut ;.,.equipped; with at; modified; safety. readjustment i mechanism for, theufoldingt rollsjinh which theire- ,iadjustmentmechanismis operatedvelectro-vpneua matically;

qFigure 5 is a-;diagrammatic..side elevation of a machine ,similtmtogthat. shown in the left hand half of Figure l, butequippedwith a further modfied safety readjustment mehanism.for .the foldein irollstin whichathe 'readjustnfientemechaiiism -.is op ratediwhollyimechanically and a .uarffi ure fiiis airagmntarysside.=elevation,part1 in. vertical sectiomi-otgthe central;portibnsofethe ,,-mach-ine1 ofxgEi u-re lneqnippediwith, HLiiSfiHf-ifllf" when. modified .web ebreakage detector np'erated-eby a;-ph O-electric;'ceihfonactuating,:the safetyareadjustment;meehanismphoto-electrically.

tin si-ftiiiich 6 sec the coming sheet 'Welos Ham -one of the paper webs breaks. however, operate too slowly to be efiective with fold rollers do not exert a sufficient grip to eject the folded newspaper. Meanwhile, however, other half newspapers are being fed rapidly into the second fold rollers with the result that a serious jamming of the machinery ocurs by the inability of the second fold rollers to carry away the newspaper. If the newspaper press is not halted immediately, the newspapers pile up in the fold rollers and are jammed tightly between them by the tucking blade. This jamming of the press sometimes smashes the machinery and causes many thousands of dollars damage almost in the twinkling of an eye.

Previous attempts have been made to minimize the damage caused by such folder chokes,

as they are known in the newspaper business,

such as by providing mechanism to release springs which normally urge the fold rollers together so as to separate the second fold rollers. Other devices have been developed to close a stop circuit for halting the press motors when Such devices,

modern high speed presses, as the damage occurs before effective measures can be taken to stop the press or remove the papers from the second fold rollers, due to the high speed and momentum of modern presses The safety device of the present invention, in contrast to prior safety devices, instead of attempting to provide greater space for the newspapers by trying to separate the second fold rollers, adopts the opposite remedy of suddenly forcing the second fold rollers closer together immediately upon the breaking of one of the webs of paper. This readjustment mechanism is set in motion by a detector located prior to the entrance point of the paper webs into the second fold mechanism, and operates to actuate an electric circuit or set in motion a train of mechanism which almost instantaneously pushes one of the second fold rollers toward the other, ,halving the distance between them so that the second fold rollers are now able to effectively grip the half-sized paper resulting from the supplying of only one web to the second fold mechanism. Various arrangements are shown in the drawings for accomplishing the shifting of the second fold rollers, that in Figure 1 being effected electro-magnetically, in Figure 4 electropneumatically, in Figure 5 merely mechanically,

l and in Figure 6 photo-electrically.

Electra-magnetic safety fold roller readjustment mechanism of the newspaper being printed and folded together form multiple-sheet or multiple-strip webs I5 and I6 respectively, both being combined in one of the assemblies I3 and H to form the newspaper. The assemblies l3 and M are otherwise not in simultaneous use, except in making the first fold of the newspaper by the aid of the first 4 folding units, generally designated I1. Only one unit of the pair of second folding and cutting units, generally designated I8, is in use at any one time, the other being maintained in a standby condition for use in an emergency in the event of breakdown or for repairs.

The paper webs l5 and 18 coming from the printing section of the printing press l2 pass over rollers l9 mounted on shafts 20 journaled in the frame side structures 2| and 22 respectively, the frame side structures being in turn interconnected by cross members 23 to 26 inc. to form the frame, generally designated 21. The webs l5 and I6 each have as many sheets or layers as the number of pages allotted to that particular portion of the newspaper, the number varying according tothe day of the week and the amount of material to be published. As the multi-sheet web approaches the first folding unit ll, its

' tically on their center line through an angle of 90 to their former plane, namely from the plane of the paper to a plane perpendicular to the paper in Figure 1. This so-called first fold is facilitated by means of upper and lower approximately triangular guide structures 28 and 29 and by means of upper and lower pairs of first fold rollers 30 and 3| respectively mounted on shafts 32 and 33, respectively. The shafts 32 and 33 are journaled at their opposite ends in supports 34, only one of which is shown, and which rise from the cross members 25 of the frame 21. The multi-sheet web 16 from the assembly [4 after being folded vertically in halves, as described above, passes directly downward to the second fold and cutting unit [8 which is then in use,

the other unit 18 being idle. The folded web IS in the assembly i3, however, passes in an approximately horizontal direction from its respective first fold unit 11 over a guide roller 35 journaled in bearing blocks 36 secured to one of the side structures 22 when it passes downward under a swinging guide roller 31 journaled as at 31 in the lower ends of arms 39, the upper ends of which are pivotally mounted and journaled as at 40 in the side frame structure 22. Beyond the a swinging guide roller 37, the web 15 passes substantially horizontally to a guide roller 41 mount- 1 ed on a shaft 42 which is journaled at its opposite ends in the supports 34, after which it proceeds downward into the second folding and cutting unit It which is in use at that particular time.

The two longitudinally folded multi-sheet webs i5 and [6 pass downward into the space between a cutting cylinder unit 45 and a cooperating folding cylinder unit 46. The cutting cylinder unit 45 consists of a cylinder Lil mounted upon a horizontal shaft 48, the opposite ends of which are journaled in bearing blocks 49 which are slid- .ably mounted in horizontal guideways 50 (Figure 1) and urged toward the folding unit 46 by -compression springs St, the guideways 5!! being mounted on or in the frame cross members 25. Mounted on the cutting cylinder 41 is a transversely disposed sharp-edged cutting blade 52 which is adapted to sever the longitudinallyfolded webs l5 and Hi just below the point where a they are engaged by the cutting cylinder unit 45 and folding cylinder unit 46. In this manner, the webs l5 and 16 remain in engagement with the units 45 and 46 even though severing has taken place immediately below their point of engagejwliichforms ,n .o partjoithe present. invention and wwhich, is therefore omitted 1 ini..Q1:der; .to,. show; ,the ;.constru'ct.ion..more clearly.

cutting, and folding cylinders. units. "45 and G arepositivelymgeared ,to one 1anOther in order thatiltheyj. shall ,rotate in a definite: timed relalfilionship. For" this purpose, a gear 5 3 is lceyed ,or' otherwisel.driyingly-, secured, toj the end "of; the ishaftf lfiand, in .,turn ,me s hes, with a gear 1'54 lk 'yled or otherwise'drivin W. securedto aish li 5.5;bylwhich.the folding cylinderunitllji is driven. IiMOiiIitedonthe shaft.55' (Figure 1). is a cylinder T56 which, is substantially twice' the 3 diameter 20f lt e l (:uttin cylinder 41., and "which at" diametrieela ynpposite. locations istprov ded wit t a Nerselyadisposed pads or cushions 51 and .58 of iere's'ilient.material. such was rubber, synthetic rubf;ber;orithelikeijlTh'e gearing 53554 issoxpro- ;rortione'd and arranged thattne pads 51. and 58 jjarrive .opDosit'ethe Edge, of the cutting blade-52 IaIter each revolution of the Lcutting.'cylinder'l' ll. .g'hccordingly, the pitch diameter. oflthe gearfSA is twice the pitch'diameterof the gear '53, and has twice the numben 172138831311 If, however, the cylinders 41 and 56 were made of different ratios --*of-diameters; the-ratios of the gears 53-554 would be-42orrespondingly changed.

The shaft 55 upon-which the-foldingecylinder 956 is mounted is --journa-led-at--its:. opposite ends in -the cross--- members z Keyedmr other-wise '-'-securedto-=the'- shaft- SE-(Figure 2)- is a" driving -geai ST W-hich is in-turn driven by another motordriven gear (not-shown) -,-or which is drivenfrom other robating parts of-the printing press l2. -T-he feld-in'g cylinder =56 at-its= opposite ends is provided with end plates 56min the form ofdiscs which closethe-opposite ends of-the cylinder 56 and which at-d-iametrically opposite'locationsare provided with cutaway-portions: 68- in which are "mounted-hearingblocks orjournahbearings SI ro- '--.:-ta'tablysupporting tucking shafts 6 2 J l Mounted is on eachtuck-ing shaft 62 and rotatedthereby is a-tuch-ing:blade-63. Keyed or -otherwise secured to one end 'of-eachtucking blade shaft 'fiz is a w pinio-n elMFigure 2 which meshes with and rolls L..." around :upon:a-stationarydnternah gear: 6 5 h-aving -=gears 6S=by which it is boltedor otherwisetsecured 01-. the frame cross members 25 =and= 34- respecively.- In this:manner; the tucking b1 ades 63 otate relative1y-to the cy1inder -5S.=-and, having ngths s'unicient to causethem to project-outwardly beyond theucyli-nder 56 when" they swing e through the transverse peripheral apertures 6! =thereof th igure 2h shown in the lowenpcrti-om of "if zF-igure 1;" rhetuckingblade's filt and their pinions W64 are so mounted that the blades-proiec'tthrough s suthe apertures h'i' when they: reach-lthei nlowermost positions (Figure 1). The apertures 51- are panned-by.arcuate bridge"member- 68(Figure 2) hichrare mounted at transversely-spaced locaionsacrossthe periphery of thecylinderxfit and .fiush awithmthe.peripheral:surface 69 thereof. These/bridge members; (SS-engage the multi-sheet aper: web's. I 6 and prevent substantial-bulging c thereofumto the apertures '6 1.

:Journalledat diametrically. 'oppositelocations the cylinder heads: 58. are: gripping; pin shafts fl'adisposedmidway-between the tucking-blade -.-'"3.56; .i- Mounted-0n tones-endof each gripping-pin shaft is a, crank arm I! carrying a cam foln- :lower rollenclzttFigure 2-) which engages thecam .-.groove 13 in a-stationary face-cam or crown cam i l-which isprovidedwith -a -bore-l-5- through-which -'--t-he'-cylinder shaftfidloosely'and rotatablypasses.

shafts (t-2' around-the peripheryfof the L cylinder 6 'g .The .camili isgp qvid d wi h h b 1iiichpi ..-turn. sproyid d wi se i?! b lted orjp h UBQQ BQ 0 .Ql e fiut i ffl 139 m m e s? Fi ure2) 'iMou d upo ea slgiiippi 5 1pinsha ft s 1.0 are transversely, spaced crank arms :73 to theends of which are securedpointeglpaper gripping :pins 19 fWhiQh, :1ike the tucking blades '63, )are of excessive lengths so as to project 1'...thro ush ap r ur (Fi u e 1) fifi i gfifi tit l0 ,cushions ,5] and 58.j "The paper. gripping *pinsj'lS are caused by the action. of the cam rollers ,TIZLLOII Hthe cranlg arms -H to be periodically advanced throughjthe ,apertures jafl -when the latterapproachsthecutting cylinder 4'1 so as to penetrate the ,paper webs 5 and f. I 6 and pull them downward beneathpthe cylinder 56 tothe location "where one of the tucking blades 63 performsthe tucking operation (Figure 1). In order to guide they-severed lengthst8 l andr82 whichlare -gut off from the paper webs l5 and [6 by the cutting 'blade Eat-and which'forrn' the newspaperi83 ar- 'cuate-guide mem-bers ad and 85am providedxand mounted by brackets 8fi=and 81. (Figure 1) 1 011117116 framecross members::26. -Mounted immediately below! the. .foldingncyl- -inde1 unit 38 is the second fold :roller; assembly, --generally designated llil (Figure 3.).iwhich includes a part of the safetyreadjnstment .mechanismsl 0 and also forms apartFof thasecond; folding and I cutting unit- [8; "Thasecond foldnrollereassembly -99 includes stationarycandgashiftable-second fold 1 rollers-9l and 92 respectively?(Figures -l.i.3;1ldl3). The stationarysecond .fold rolleritlt is stationary only in the-sense that :its axis remains. stationary, because it is mounted-xuponsand. drtvinglyisecured at its opposite .ends toistuhrsh'aftsz 9.3.aandtii93a, which are-journaled iii-bearing bloclssta94zbolted= to -'-=the frame cross members 2 69- The shafinBll-eanries a gear-"85 which is keyed 01: otherwisemdrivingly -secured thereto and whichsmeshesszw-ith aegear 95 keyed -or-' otherwise drivingly :securedntoethe 'shaft 55 -(Figure 2). -?.-I.'I he.'- rol1er filialsoi carries a gearflitFigure 39 which isnlikewisemirivingh 4 secured theretc-and-iwhichmeshes. with aegear -98 -=driving1y securedto the shiftableafold roller 92. The-teeth of: theigears :9'L- and5 98:. are sufl1- ciently long to enable. the 'shiftablearolhfiz=to-.;be moved-nearer to: or :fanthernawayfrom it'h-esstai.tionar y: roll .:9i ins-order to varynthe gapttSBmbetween them.

' The-'- shiftable roll 82 at :its ecpposite-z-ends: is pinned or otherwise drivinglyesecured to'estub shafts .I Mi 1? (Figure? 3) 1 i which are -journaled.= in =bearingiblocksiilfi The bearingablocksalfimare 5 in- :turnmountede'oni:therends of .;-'non-=-rotatab1e -.screw shaftsewzi- 2Threadedx=upon eachnscrew shaft-1 l 112. is can xinternallyathreaded .nutel Mum-E ig- Lure 1 which .isloosely and rotatably mounted; in a boreqtetl in ailever': H15, onei'of-twhichleuerstlififi 6O is a bent lever; providedrwith .-an.arm:5-:t!l6. ea'flhe leversr'zl 05. .are -.in-.. turn .pivotallymounted 1.1113011 lcpivot shafts"! BTJIzEflChi pivot; shaftii ld'i. is mounted upon a bracket me depending from onek eta-the frame CI'OSS'mBmbGI'S iZEJT ThE threaded nuts I04 .-=carry spiralorhelicahgears 1M9 zwhichzmeshrwith 'I rsimilar: gears I. lllfiziwith taxes at; right -anglesithere- I to. The" gears :H @-=(Eigure 3-.)+- are mounted-Myron L 1 and drivinglyisecured to ajcrossshaft Uzi-which is journaled near-its opposite. ends in-loracket :arms l I 2 .aextending routwa'rdlyitfrom z-the b'ent levers -1 0B; Mounted on: one end of the-shaft l H is a handwheel H 3 which cooperation with the shaftl I Lygears -l-lfl-"and lfl9 and interhtmllythreaded nuts-"l0 4- "constitutes, a" manual "rpl-ler adjustment mechanism, generally designated 4,

. I 7 by which the bearing blocks I02 can be moved to and fro to consequently widen or narrow the gap 99 between the second fold rollers 9| and 92 (Figure 3). This adjustment is made whenever a number of sheets in the edition of the newspaper is changed and may vary between wide limits as, for example, between a Friday newspaper containing a large number of advertisements and a Saturday newspaper containing a very small number thereof. In order to increase the gripping effect of the second fold rollers 9i and s2, these are preferably provided with corrugated or knurled portions II5 (Figure 3) Stop pins II6 (Figure 1) mounted on the brackets I08 limit the rearward motion of the bent levers I66, and consequently limit the maximum width of the gap 99 between the second fold rollers SH and 92.

Safety fold roller readiustment mechanism Superimposed upon the manual roll adjustment mechanism, H4 is the safety roll readjust- 'moved toward the second fold roller 9I in order to narrow the gap 99 quickly in the event that one of the multi-sheet webs l5 or I6 breaks. In that event, the folding and cutting unit I8 which is in use at the moment and which is adjusted to engage the thickness of both webs I5 and I6 is now suddenly deprived of one web and hence the corrugated or knurled portions I I5 lose their gripping power by the gap 35 being too wide for effectively gripping one web. The automatic safety readjustment mechanism I about to be described then comes into play automatically to narrow the gap 99 to approximately half of its previous width in order to effectively grip the single web remaining and thereby prevent the occurrence of a "folder choke or piling up of the severed paper portions 8|, 82 immediately adjacent the gap 90, with the consequent occurrence of serious damage to the printing press.

For this purpose, the arm I06 of the bent lever I is pivotally connected by links H1 to the armature IIB of a solenoid III! which in turn is mounted upon a bed I supported by one of a pair of frame cross members I2I (one only being shown). Also mounted on the bed I20 and rising therefrom is an upright I22 having a horizontally adjustable stop screw I23 threaded through the upright I22 and with its end engageable with an auxiliary arm I24 of the bent lever I06. In the normal operation of the apparatus, as shown in Figure l, a gap I25 ordinarily exists between the lever arm I24 and the end of the stop screw I23 which is, of course, locked in position by a lock nut I26. Connected to the upper end of the upright I22 is the lower end of a tension spring I21, the upper end of which is connected to the upper end of the bent lever I06 to urge it and the mechanism carried by it to the left against the stop pins H6.

Also mounted upon the bed I20 is a conventional relay switch I28 which serves to connect the solenoid energization lines I29 and I30 to the power lines I3I and I3Ia when the relay I28 is energized. The relay switch I28 is provided in order to permit the use of low voltage electric current in the control circuit of the safety roll readjustment mechanism I0, such as 25 volt current from a suitable transformer (not shown) for safety reasons to control the supply of the high voltage power current to the solenoid H9. The

relay switch I28 is operated by control current accents reaching it through the relay control lines I32 and I33 (Figure 1) which are connected to a normally closed safety switch I34 mounted on an angle bracket I35 bolted or otherwise secured to one of the frame uprights 2i. The safety switch I34 is provided with a swinging operating arm I36 mounted on a switch operating shaft I31 and carrying a contact roller I38 which rests upon and engages the web I5. The switch-operating arm I36 is normally urged downward by a spring or weight (not shown) within the switch I34, but is prevented from so swinging downward by the presence of the taut web I5, thus holding the switch operating arm I36 in a raised position, causing the switch I34 to be in its open ciruit position, interrupting the flow of current from control current supply lines I39 and I40 to the relay control lines I32 and 233. From the lines I32 and I33, lines I32a and I330; run to the operating coil of a normally closed motor control relay switch (not shown) which opens the energization circuit of thhe press driving motor or motors when the lines I32a and I33a are energized.

Operation In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the printing press, including the folding and cutting assemblies I3 and I4, is set up and in operation, as shown in Figure 1, with the already printed multiple sheet or multiple strip webs I5 and I6 running at high speed downward into the first folding units I1, and with the web I5 serving as a transfer web by being diverted from its own second folding and cutting unit I8 to the one located in the assembly I4, by means of the guide rollers 35, 31 and 4|.

After the multiple sheet webs I5 and I6 have been folded longitudinally in the units I1 and have come together in the space between the cutting cylinder unit 45 and the folding cylinder unit 46, they are pulled downward simultaneously by the penetration of the paper gripping pins 19 which, at this instant, are caused by the action of the cam rollers 12 in the cam groove 13 of the cam 14 (Figure 2) to project through the aperture beyond the peripheral surface 63 of the cylinder 56. Immediately below their meeting point, the webs i5 and I6 are engaged by the cutting blade 52 and are severed transversely by being engaged by the cutting blade 52 on one side operating against the cushion 51 on the other side. The severed lengths 8I and 62 forming the two sections of the newspaper are now engaged by the lower tucking blades 63 which have been rotated in timed relationship downward into their projecting positions through the aperture 61 into engagement with the newspaper sections 8I and 82.

The tucking blades 63 make an indentation I39 midway between the upper and lower edges of the newspaper sections 8| and 82, as shown in Figure l, folding the newspaper transversely and forcing the fold thereof down between the second fold rollers SI and 92. This action brings the four thicknesses of newspaper in the second fold I39 into gripping engagement with the corrugated or knurled portions I I5 of the fold rollers SI and 92, which carry the folded newspaper 83 downward and discharge it onto a conveyor (not shown) which carries it to a point of packing for distribution.

During normal running operations, the webs I5 and I6 remain in a taut condition and consequently the roller I38 on the operating arm I36 of the safety switch I34 remains held in a raised aeeosaas.

9e position, holding. the normally .olosed switch I 34 in o en; circuit. "1 If,.' however';ithweb I5 b1B'a,kS, the arm ISWimmediateIy"drops';"olosing'ithe 10011: trol Circuit through; thels'WitohiIM" and energiz-="" mg the relay ,i23' fro1i1 the'now errergizedwelay 'fi control lines 5'32"nd I33 whioware'fnow receiv ine current zrremwhe controrcurrent 'rrom-the controlou'r'r'ent supply 'lin'es'I IWjndIMldt" At the same time, the lines 132a and I33a are likewise" energized, operating} relay"i(not"'shdwn)'whioh 10. halts the ressdriving'motoror motors?" Th'e energiza tion' ofthe' Telay'switoh"I-'28 bytnis means closes" the 'circuit"betweemthe'power' lines I3I "and .I 3 I'd. I "The' consequent'"energizationpf" the solenoid] I 9 instantly pulls" its "armature" II 8 m downward, likewise pulling the arm Il36""c'xf1ille"()f the" levers" I05 downward; shifting"the"levers' I0 5* ins. clockwise directionand consequentlyshifting'- thseoondfold roller fiftbward thestationary second iolii' roller '9 ITuntil "the third arms Ifl f thelevers I so iigagezth'e stopscrewsfl'z 3:? Mean while, the gap 99 has beennarrowed bythis'ac tidiilso that the corrugatedprfknurled portions"" II5""6f-"th" rollers 9I"and"92'engage"thetrans versel'y folded section" 8 II of the "single"web"l 61*"2 fediriglit downward between the'rolls' and eject me. it 'from' -the'printirigpress; this manner? the sections 82f are' prevented frompiliii'g "up-*1 beneath 'the cylirider" 5B, asitheywould 'doif I;h"" automati 'safety' readjustmenti"mech'anism "'10 "of the present invention were' not provided? Fluid 'opemted' safety -#0ld rolle'r areadiustment mechanism The fluid-operated safety-fold roller readjustmentmeoha'nisni: generally desi'gnated I ."ill shown' in'FiuI'e'4, is generally similar"to the 'meoha- Y nisni'fli shown inFi'g'uresl' to '3' inolusive"andd fefs"only in"the -Ineansfor shifting thelever's -I=05i the additional corresponding tothe'armdwl'fie in'g'here designatedl 5|. Sifnilarpart's of Figure 4 aredesi'gnated"with the same refefeneenu merals as'the corresponding partsin-"Figurel. In Figure 4, one of the levers I05 has a dow wardly projecting arm I52 with stop-portions l fl engaging the stop screws I28-v/hentheweb breaks and" the safety mechanism becomes*operativ f 'I'he'leverarm 'I5I is normall'y' urged fofwardlfby a tensionsprin'g I 54 secured'thereto atits' rear Warde'n'd and secured at itsforwardend to a postor eat IEW'projecting upward from the rearwardcylinderhe'ad I56 of the cylinder I5'I of-a fluid pressure" motor, generally designated I58? The motor 'IES -has a forward cylinder head l59f both cylinder heads I56 and I 59 being bolted' or other-" Wisesecured' to the bed-I 2 0 previously mentioned. Reoiprocably'mounted in the cylinder I51 is a piston I60, the piston rod I6 I "of which is pivotally cohnectedby a link 'I62"'t0 the lower end of the lever'arm ISI. 60

The fluid pressure-motor I58}-" -preferablv'*a pneumatio'motor, is supplied withpressurefiuid' through a pipe I63"from'a conventional rotary valveIM-wvhich in turn is conneotedtoa pres'---'- sure'ffiuid supply line I 65- and a discharge pipe- 1 I861; The-valve I 64 is provided with an operat ing sh'aift lfi'i which inturn' oarriesvanop'erating arm IEB suitably oonnected as =by a pin 'and:slot"' connection at: the point I59: to-the arx'n'ature :-I I8 'ofthe solenoid I I5,- as -beforei The latterwis icon-1170i neotecl to --the relay: switch I28=-and.--the..-.-relay-* switch I28 to the safety switch I-34 in the manner; described in connection With=Fieure-1 lh operationof the modification shown inns Figura is in most-.re's'pe'otsfsiniilolif tofthait dfithe -15 I severed and folded he'wspaperis'e'ctions"82 firth abseneewfithe sections? 8 I ,'""resu1tin'g'r from the br'akageotthwebl 5. mumps fold .rolle'i re: adjustment *meoha'nisrnfi 50""of tFig ure i l'ik'wis prevents"'the pilingf'upf-"of" the" completely folded newspaperseetioii'st zfincrejects'fthem'downwardft between-the rollef's SI a'iid 92 as'loeforetf;

M echdniaal; :s'a fiety field rollersreadjustmentm 'mecham'smr a shown in Figure 5, with the levers I locked in their outer positions by the latch projection I18 upon the lever I engaging the arm I12 on one of the levers lit, the multiple paper webs I5 and I6, as before, move continuously downward and are cut off into the lengths 8| and 82 and carried downward to the second fold rollers 9| and 92, and folded by the tucking blades 63 and ejected downward between the rollers 9i and 92. When the web I5 breaks, however, the contact arm I86 swings downward, moving the links I86 and I93 downward. The latter closes the safety switch I96 to energize the control lines I91 and I38 in order to stop the printing press motor or motors while the former swings the bent lever I82 in a clockwise direction. This shifts the link I85 to the left (Figure 5), swinging the latch lever I15 downward and withdrawing the latch projection I18 from engagement with the lower end of the downwardly-projecting lever arm I12. This releases the levers I65 from their locked positions, whereupon the spring I13 pulls the lever arm ill downward, swinging the levers I19 to the right and with them the shiftable second fold roller 92. This narrows the gap 99 between the second fold rollers 9| and 92 as before, causing these rollers to firmly grip the folded single section 82 of the newspaper in the absence of the second section 8I, which is missing as a result of the breaking of the web I5. The single newspaper sections 82 are thus folded and ejected downwardly between the second fold rollers SI and 92, as if no breakage had occurred, thus preventing a fold choke and consequently preventing damage to the apparatus. 1

Meanwhile, the closing of the safety switch I96 by the breakage of the paper web I5 has halted the printing press motor or motors, bringing the printing press to a stop. Since these printing presses operate at high speeds, however, the momentum of the various rotating parts would continue the cylinders 41 and 56 in rotation a sufficient distance to cause a fold choke if the safety mechanism of the present invention were not provided.

Photo-electric actuating device for readiustment mechanism Figure 6 shows a photo-electric device, generally designated 20!), which takes the place of the safety switch I34 and eliminates the necessity for direct physical contact between a roller or contact member, such as the roller I38 and contact arm I36 with the web I5. Instead, the actuating device 200 is provided with a light source 2M mounted on an angle bracket 202 bolted to one of the frame uprights 2I and energized through the lines 203 and 204 from any suitable source of electricity. The light source 20I is placed immediately above the paper web I5 and in line with a photo-electric cell 205 placed below the web I5 and connected to the control lines I32 and I33 controlling the actuation of the relay switch I28 of Figure 1 or 4. From the control lines I32 and I33, auxiliary control lines 206 and 201 run to another relay (not shown) which controls the motor stopping switch in a manner similar to the control lines I91 5and I98 described in connection with Figure In the operation of the actuating device 200 of Figure 6, the machinery is assumed to be running as described in connection with Figure 1, with the parts in positions shown n F g 1 or Figure 4, depending upon whether the mechanism is to be shifted directly by the electric solenoid us (Figure l) or indirectly by the pressure fluid motor I58 regulated by the valve I64 operated by the solenoid H9 (Figure 4). The light source 2M is energized so as to project light rays downward toward the photo-electric cell 2%.

So long as the multiple sheet paper web I5 remains running and unbroken, it intercepts all thelight from the light source 20: and prevents it from reaching the photo-electric cell 285. Immediately upon breakage of the Web I5, however, light from the light source 26I reaches the photo-electric cell 285, energizing the control lines I32, I33, 2% and 201. The energization of the control lines I32 and I33 energizes the relay switch I28 (Figure 4) and consequently energizes the relay H9. The mechanism then operates in the manner described above to shift the movable second fold roller 92 toward the stationary second fold roller 9| to narrow the gap 99 between them and continue to grip the folded single newspaper sections 82 reaching them in the absence of the sections BI resulting from the breakage of the web I5. The folded single sections 82 are thereby gripped between the second fold rollers 6| and 92 and ejected downwardly between them without damage to the machinery and without causing the fold choke.

The energization of the lines 266 and 201 (Figure 6) causes the energization of a second relay (not shown), which actuates a motor stop switch (not shown) so as to halt the press driving motor or motors. Here again, however, the momentum of the machinery caused by the high operating speeds involved would otherwise cause the cylinders and 56 to continue rotation a suflicient amount to cause a fold choke if the automatic safety fold roller readjustment mechanism of the present invention were not provided.

WhatIclaim is:

1. An automatic safety readjustment device for a newspaper printing press having paired second fold rollers and an adjacently-disposed folding-and-tucking cylinder and blade cooperating therewith uniting two separate multi-strip continuously running paper web-s proceeding to a junction at said cylinder along two separate web paths, said device comprising a shiftable support mounted on said press and carrying one of said fold rollers, mechanism operatively connected to said support for shifting said support and the fold roller carried thereby toward the other fold roller of the pair to narrow the gap therebetween, and a web breakage detector disposed adjacent one of said webs on one of said separate paths and operatively connected to said mechanism, said web breakage detector being responsive to the breakage of said web for energizing said mechanism to shift said support and the fold roller carried thereby toward said other fold roller and reduce the space between said rollers in consequence of the reduction in number and thickness of the webs being fed through said rollers resulting from the breaking of said one web whereby to instantly regrip the reducedthickness remaining web tightly between said rolls and prevent jamming thereof.

2. An automatic safety readjustment device for a newspaper printing press having paired second fold rollers and an adjacently-disposed foldtoward the other fold roller of the pair to narrow the gap therebetween, and a web breakage detector disposed adjacent one of said webs on one of said separate paths and operatively connected to said mechanism, said web breakage detector including a radiation source and a photoelectric cell associated therewith and responsive to the breakage of said web for energizing said mechanism to shift said support and the fold roller carried thereby toward said other fold roller and reduce the space between said rollers in consequence of the reduction in number and thickness of the webs being fed through said rollers resulting from the breaking of said one web whereby to instantly regrip the reduced-thickness remaining web tightly between said rolls and prevent jamming thereof.

8. An automatic safety readjustment device for a newspaper printing press having paired second fold rollers and an adjacently-disposed folding-and-tucking cylinder and blade cooperating therewith uniting two separate multi-strip continuously running paper webs proceeding to a junction at said cylinder along two separate web paths, said device comprising a shiftable support mounted on said press and carrying one of said fold rollers, mechanism including a fluid pressure motor operatively connected to said support for shifting said support and the fold roller carried thereby toward the other fold roller of the pair to narrow the gap therebetween, and a web breakage detector disposed adjacent one of said webs on one of said separate paths and operatively connected to said mechanism, said web breakage detector being responsive to the breakage of said web for energizing said mechanism to shift said support and the fold rollers carried thereby toward said other fold roller and reduce the space between said rollers in consequence of the reduction in number and thickness of the webs being fed through said rollers resulting from the breaking of said one web whereby to instantly regrip the reduced-thickness remaining web tightly between said rolls and prevent jamming thereof. 7

9. An automatic safety readjustment device for a newspaper printing press having paired second fold rollers and an adjacently-disposed folding-and-tucking cylinder and blade cooperating therewith uniting two separate multi-strip continuously running paper webs proceeding to a junction at said cylinder along two separate web paths, said device comprising a shiftable support mounted on said press and carrying one of said fold rollers, mechanism including a fluid pressure motor and a control valve connecting said motor to a source of pressure fluid operatively connected to said support for shifting said support and the fold roller carried thereby toward the other fold roller of the pair to narrow the gap therebetween, and a web breakage detector disposed adjacent one of said webs on one of said separate paths and operatively connected to said control valve, said web breakage detector being responsive to the breakage of said web for energizing said control valve to shift said support and the fold roller carried thereby toward said other fold roller and reduce the space between said rollers in consequence of the reduction in number and thickness of the webs being fed through said rollers resulting from the breaking of said one web whereby to instantly regrip the reduced-thickness remaining web tightly between said rolls and prevent jamming thereof.

10. An automatic safety readjustment device for a newspaper printing press having paired second fold rollers and an adjacently-disposed folding-and-tucking cylinder and blade cooperating therewith uniting two separate multi-strip continuously running paper webs proceeding to a junction at said cylinder along two separate web paths, said device comprising a shiftable Support mounted on said press and carrying one of said fold rollers, mechanism including a motive element operatively connected to said support and normally urging said support and the fold roller carried thereby toward the other fold roller of the pair to narrow the gap therebetween, a releasable locking arrangement engaging and releasably holding said support from motion toward said other roller, and a web breakage detector disposed adjacent one of said webs on one of said separate paths, and operatively connected to said locking arrangement, said web breakage detector being responsive to the breakage of said web for energizing said locking arrangement to release said support whereby to shift said support and the fold roller carried thereby toward said other fold roller and reduce the space between said rollers in consequence of the reduction in number and thickness of the webs being fed through said rollers resulting from the breaking of said one web whereby to instantly regrip the reduced-thickness remaining web tightly between said rolls and prevent jamming thereof.

11. An automatic safety readjustment device for a newspaper printing press having paired second fold rollers and an adjacently-disposed folding-and-tucking cylinder and blade cooperating therewith uniting two separate multi-strip continuously running paper webs proceeding to a junction at said cylinder along two separate web paths, said device comprising a shiftable support mounted on said press and carrying one of said fold rollers, mechanism including a spring operatively connected to said support and normally urging said support and the fold roller carried thereby toward the other fold roller of the pair to narrow the gap therebetween, a releasable locking arrangement engaging and releasably holding said support from motion toward said other roller, and a web breakage detector disposed adjacent one of said webs on one of said separate paths and operatively connected to said locking arrangement, said web breakage detector being responsive to the breakage of said web for energizing said locking arrangement to release said support whereby to shift said support and the fold roller carried thereby toward said other fold roller and reduce the space between said rollers in consequence of the reduction in number and thickness of the webs being fed through said rollers resulting from the breaking of said one web whereby to instantly regrip the reduced-thickness remaining web tightly between said rolls and prevent jamming thereof.

12. An automatic safety readjustment device for a newspaper printing press having paired second fold rollers and an adjacently-disposed folding-and-tucking cylinder and blade cooperating therewith uniting two separate multi-strip continuously running paper webs proceeding to a junction at said cylinder along two separate web paths, said device comprising a shiftable support mounted on said press and carrying one of said fold rollers, mechanism including a spring operatively connected to said support and normally urging said support and the fold roller carried thereby toward the other fold roller of the pair to narrow the gap therebetween, a releasable locking arrangement engaging and re leasa'bly holding said spring out of operation and preventing said support from motion toward said other roller, and a web breakage detector disposed adjacent one of said webs on one 01' said separate paths and operatively connected to said locking arrangement, said web breakage detector being responsive to the breakage of said web for energizing said locking arrangement to release said support whereby to shift said support 10 and the fold roller carried thereby toward said other fold roller and reduce the space between said rollers in consequence of the reduction in number and thickness of the webs being fed through said rollers resulting from the breaking 15 18 of said one web whereby to instantly regrip the reduced-thickness remaining web tightly between said rolls and prevent jamming thereof. LESLIE J. GRINER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,787,945 Lang Jan. 6, 1931 2,024,258 Tomlin et a1 Dec. 1'7, 1935 2,399,445 Meyer Apr. 30, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Great Britain Feb. 17, 1949 

